HR0353 98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0353 LRB098 12063 MST 45769 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House wish to recognize the 2013 Dream Machine Recycle Rally; and

WHEREAS, Since its launch in 2010, the Dream Machine Recycle Rally has galvanized K-12 schools across the country, their faculty, and surrounding communities to help make the planet cleaner and greener through recycling; and

WHEREAS, Nearly 1,000 schools in 34 states have participated in the program since its launch, and nearly 40 million beverage containers - almost 2 million pounds - have been captured and kept out of landfills; and

WHEREAS, In its 3rd-year (2012), the program awarded nearly $200,000 in prizes to participating schools across the country; one of the programs's sponsors, PepsiCo, has contributed over $500,000 in prizes over the 3 years of the program; 3 schools will be awarded the Dream Green Makeover Grand Prize this May and June, $25,000 to be used for green improvements at the schools, such as solar panels, energy-efficient printers, outdoor classrooms, and much more; and

WHEREAS, Since the program's launch, it has had a great charitable partner in the Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans with Disabilities (EBV); the more plastic bottles and aluminum cans recycled through the program the more support PepsiCo provides to EBV, which provides training in entrepreneurship and small business management to post-9/11 veterans with disabilities; PepsiCo has given $1.5 million to EBV over the 3 years since the program's beginning; and

WHEREAS, The first grand-prize celebration of this year's Dream Machine Recycle and Rally program will take place on May 22, 2013, at St. Bede Catholic School in Ingleside; the school showed a huge dedication to recycling this past year with more than 550,000 plastic bottles and aluminum cans collected; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we recognize the Dream Machine Recycle and Rally program and St. Bede's commitment to recycling; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to the Dream Machine Recycle Rally organizers and to St. Bede's Catholic School.